Are standard fluorescent lights good enough for growing hot peppers?

Answer 1

Yes, you can grow almost any type of green plant under Fluorescent Lamps.

Do not take bolavo advice as ultra-violet light will kill them.

The best and cheapest combination of Fluorescent Lighting is 2 or 4 tube, 4' strip fixtures with 1 warm white and 1 cool white lamp in a 2 lamp 4' strip fixture or 2 warm white (ww) and 2 cool white (cw) lamp in a 4 lamp 4' strip fixture (place the fluorescent bulbs ww,cw,ww,cw in the fixture).

This gives the plants a balance of red and blue spectrum light which is necessary for optimum growth under fluorescent lighting. It is not necessary to use the special fluorescent grow bulbs which cost 4 to 6 times as much as the ww or cw bulbs.

You have to place the bulbs very close to the plants. As the plants grow in height raise the fixtures. Keep the fluorescent bulbs about 1" above the foliage.

Good air circulation is a must to prevent fungus, molds and mildew around your seedlings. Fluorescent fixtures are only able to provide enough lumens (the measure of light used to rate bulbs) to penetrate several inches of foliage, therefor they must be placed within 1"-2" of the tops of your plants. This becomes a problem as the plants get more than 6"-8" tall, as there just isn’t enough lumens available to keep the high-energy peppers growing stocky. They will begin to get "leggy", stretching for all available light. Simple reflectors made from aluminum foil around your setup will direct every available lumen to your plants, as well as keeping humidity and temperature up (important if you are gardening in your basement in a cold climate). Never try to start seedlings under regular incandescent light bulbs such as floodlights, regular lamp bulbs, heat lamps, etc. The light they provide is almost totally in the "red" spectrum, and very weak, stimulating fast leggy growth, and in several days your seedlings will be 6" tall with 2 tiny seed leaves, or cotyledons, and flopping over. Heat buildup under the fluorescent fixtures is rarely a problem, as the heat is spread out over the entire length of the fixture.


Once you have started your seeds in whatever way you do, place them under the fluorescent fixtures as close as 1", water only enough to keep the medium moist-to-dry, provide good air circulation with a 6" fan from Wal-mart, keep the temperature warm (70-82 degrees is fine during the day, a little less at night is OK), and place your lights on a timer to run 14-16 hrs. a day. (I have had excellent luck with the cheapo timers from any hardware, others have found it better to get a more expensive timer. Again, budget rules.) Fluorescents are extremely cost-efficient, and 4- 4ft. tubes running 16 hours a day with the timer and fan should barely make a dent in your electric bill.


Soon you will have a forest of seedlings… just remember, you will have to provide light for all of them as they get bigger. It’s really that easy, and the only way to get seedlings of some of the exotic peppers available as seeds-only from some suppliers. Don’t start your seeds too early, as I did this year. 8-10 weeks ahead of the last frost date for your area will be plenty of time except for a few fickle germinators.

Growing peppers under fluorescent lamps will be a matter of providing 14-16 hrs of light per day, with warm light-period ambient temps, (80° F) and temps at "night" (light-off periods) 10°-15° F cooler. Humidity should be approximately 60%, and water only when the medium is dry 1" down. DON’T overwater, one of the worst mistakes newbies make. Provide good air circulation with a fan (stimulates tough stems by simulating wind) and vent away excess heat. Fertilize sparingly, and only when the plant shows a need. Then you, too, can serve up a bowl of fresh chiles when the icy wind is whistling outside, and say (smugly), "I grew them myself, really!"

Good Luck.

Answer 2

Don't remember where I got this but it works and has for 4 years: buy two shop lights in each unit put a 40 watt cool light and a 40 watt warm light also known as (cool) blue light and (warm) red light. that will be four bulbs total. You have to hang them like 5-6 inches above the seed beds at first then raise the lights or lower the plants a little at a time till it is time to transplant outdoors. This light has to stay fairly close to the plant but it does work.Good Luck!!

Answer 3

fluorescent bulbs are rated different for uv rays. Go to wallmart and get a grow light. it will work better than standard fluorescent bulbs

Answer 4

No. They need daylight! Fluorescent light will not harm them but sunlight would be good.

Answer 5

Yes; they'll grow most plants very nicely. I use ordinary shop lights and bulbs to raise African violets, and I've won my share of prizes with no difficulty :-)

Answer 6

I guess it's beter than nothing , but my mom uses a grow bulb for her household plants,

Do you hav e a window where it's sun-shiny? that 's gonna help,


Good luck to ya.

Answer 7

oh i get it u would need some high sodium light for the"peppers" and u would have to dry them like soem where else then there good for selling...

Answer 8

to simulate natural sunlight you need two types of tubes warm white and white light

Answer 9

It will be cheaper to buy it from the supermarket

Answer 10

are you sure its peppers you wana grow...